Ford is to deploy body-tracking technology in car assembly. The technology will be used to design workstations that place less physical strain on workers, with the aim of improving the quality of the working environment.
This is technology that has long been used in elite sports and the gaming industry. Top athletes use body-tracking technology to improve their technique and prevent injuries. Game developers deploy the technology to accurately replicate specific movements of athletes in video games.
Ford will now deploy this technology in a project being carried out at a Ford plant in Valencia, where the company's car models are assembled. Workers at this plant will wear a special suit equipped with body-tracking technology. Initially, 70 workers are involved in the project, working at 21 different workstations within the plant.
Comfortable working
"On the sports field, motion-tracking technology has shown that small adjustments in movement patterns can lead to big improvements," said Javier Gisbert, production area manager at Ford's engine assembly plant in Valencia. "For our workers, workplace adjustments using similar technology can ensure that, even on a long day, they can work comfortably."
The suit Ford is deploying is close-fitting and equipped with 15 tiny light sensors linked to a wireless sensing device. The system captures workers' movements while performing work; movements of the head, neck, shoulders as well as limbs are captured. In addition, the system features four motion-tracking cameras, which Ford says are similar to cameras used on game consoles. These cameras are positioned next to the workers and allow for a three-dimensional animation of a skeletal model of the user.
Improve posture
The data collected is analysed by specially trained ergonomists, who use the data to help workers maintain good posture in the workplace. The system also records measurements of workers, such as body height or arm length. This data is used to design workstations that are better adapted to the worker, with the aim of reducing physical strain while performing tasks.
In time, Ford plans to use the technology in other European manufacturing facilities. The initiative is part of a wider project by Ford aimed at reducing injuries among its workers through ergonomic technology and data-driven process changes.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Ford
